Christopher Burney is a Tony-Nominated Producer, Educator, Dramaturg and Creative Consultant. Former Artistic Producer with NY’s Second Stage Stage Theatre and Artistic Director of NY Stage & Film. Faculty at Columbia University and Fordham University. Served as panelist for Tony Awards Nominating Committee, NY State Council of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Lortel Awards, Athena Film Festival’s Chinonye Chukwu Emerging Writer Award , The Barbara Whitman SDC Directing Award, Hermitage Theater Residencies. Recent: MEET ME IN BUENOS AIRES (Edinburgh Fringe ’24), SOUTH (Soho Rep), WHITE GIRL IN DANGER (2ST NYC), BEYOND THE CURVES (Gallery 40). Graduate: Brandeis University, B.A., and Columbia University, M.F.A.
Guest Artist
Singerman, Lauren
Lauren Singerman is a certified teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork. Her coaching credits for film include DRUNK PARENTS (speech coach to Salma Hayek) and BEIJING, NEW YORK (dialect coach to Chiling Lin). Some of Lauren’s notable coaching credits for the stage include Manhattan Concert Productions’ THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL at Lincoln Center (coach to Tony Yazbeck, Laura Osnes, Drew Gehling, and Corey Cott), JoAnne Akalaitis’s BAD NEWS…I WAS THERE (Skirball Center), LET THERE BE LOVE (Penguin Rep), and A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (B-Side Productions).
Lauren also assisted Royal Shakespeare Company dialect coach George Richmond-Scott in teaching Irish and English actors General American accents for the RSC’s workshop production of LITTLE EAGLES. She has dialect coached several productions at NYU/Steinhardt, including THE SECRET GARDEN, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, PIRATES OF PENZANCE, BRIGADOON, and RAGS.
Lauren began her coaching career as the principal speech and dialects teacher for New York Film Academy’s Musical Theatre program. Since then, Lauren has also taught at HB Studio, Pittsburgh CLO Academy, Actors’ Lab Ukraine, and Pace University’s Musical Theater BFA program.
Dooley, Patrick K.
Patrick K. Dooley is a performer and director in New York City. Stage credits include HOW TO LOAD A MUSKET (59E59), FINDING OLIVE (The Connelly), SUB-BASEMENT directed by Hunter Bird, LAKE HOMO HIGH by Bowen Yang and Sam Taggart, and I Don’t Think So Honey, Live. TV/Film: THE NOEL DIARY, THE LAST O.G., GOTHAM, YOU, SNEAKY PETE, and FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE. He has directed and developed new work at The Annoyance, City Winery, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, The Pit, and The 24 Hour Plays and has assistant directed at City Center Encores!, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, ASCAP and The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. A member of The National Alliance of Acting Teachers, he has coached and taught workshops and classes on scene study, on-camera technique, and showcase prep at various NYC studios and at Fordham University. Training: Fordham, Old Vic/New Voices, TDP.
Owens, Larry
Larry Owens is an award winning multi-hyphenate artist across the mediums of theatre, television, film, music and comedy. Theatre: A Strange Loop (Actor, Playwrights Horizons. Awards: Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Obie), Larry Owens’ Sondheimia (Creator/Director. Carnegie Hall, Cafe Carlyle, Pasadena Playhouse, The Bell House). Selected Onscreen: Abbott Elementary, High Maintenance, Search Party, A24’s Problemista, Sony’s Dumb Money Directed by Craig Gillespie, and more. Comedy: Larry Owens Live at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (NextUp Comedy Award Nominee). Writing: Musical comedy scripts developed at FX, Netflix, and Paramount. WGA Award Winner. Owens is the author of three full length musicals and one play: THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL MUSICAL a satire of The Blind Side-esque sports/white savior films; THE TALK SHOW, about an evil female talk show host (directorial debut, Tribeca Film Festival, under title “THE GAG”, starring Sherie Rene Scott); unannounced jukebox musical for Primary Wave records; and FIVE SISTERS, a play about gendered succession written in iambic pentameter and AAVE.
Gillan,Tony
Tony Gillan is a native New Yorker who attended Hunter College, The California Institute of the Arts, and studied privately with Robert Lewis and William Esper.
Broadway credits: CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER by Herb Gardner, and TAKING SIDES by Ronald Harwood. He’s worked for such notable directors as: Daniel Sullivan, Doug Hughes, Nicholas Martin, and David Jones, among others. He’s performed many Off Broadway shows at theatres such as: Second Stage, Judith Anderson, West Side Theatre, Lion Theatre, West Bank. Regional work: Seattle Rep, Yale Rep, Ahmanson/Doolittle, Bay Street Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, and others.
Tony began to branch out creatively and joined the WGA after being hired to write a biopic about Sal Mineo for Revolution Studios. He continued by producing and directing short films and theatre. During this period, Tony would often be asked by colleagues for coaching which lead to his being hired as the acting coach on the first three AMERICAN GIRL movies for the WB.
His desire to delve deeper into teaching lead him to The Barrow Group where he spent nearly two years in their teacher training program under Seth Barrish and Lee Brock. He’s had the pleasure of being part of the Barrow community since 2011 as an actor, director, and teacher.
His work in television includes a lead role in the HBO movie, PATH TO PARADISE, and a recurring lead role in Sidney Lumet’s, 100 CENTER STREET for A&E, as well as guest spots in LAW AND ORDER and other network shows. Some film credits include: WHITE HOT, I’M NOT RAPPAPORT, TEN BENNY, and most recently, the indies: SWEETS, NO LETTING GO, and the 2021 Oscar nominated short THE LETTER ROOM.
Beller, Alexandra
Alexandra Beller has been Choreographer for “SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” (Sheen Center, Judson Gym, Folger Shakespeare Library, American Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage), for which she won a Helen Hayes Award, Lortel Nomination, and IRNE nomination for Best Choreography. She choreographed the Off-Broadway musical, “THE MAD ONES” (Kerrigan/ Lowdermilk) (59E59), Bedlam’s “PETER PAN” (Duke Theatre), “TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA” (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), “FANDANGO FOR BUTTERFLIES AND COYOTES” (La Jolla, La MaMa), “AS YOU LIKE IT” (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Folger Shakespeare Library), “HOW TO TRANSCEND A HAPPY MARRIAGE” by Sarah Ruhl (Lincoln Center Theatre), “THE YOUNG LADIES OF…” (Taylor Mac), “CHANG(E)” (Soomi Kim at HERE Arts), and others. Recent projects include choreographing “ANTONIO’S SONG” (by Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Suarez) for Milwaukee Repertory Theater and The Goodman, and “MACBETH” at LeMoyne College..
Directing credits include “MAKE THICK MY BLOOD” (adaptation of Macbeth) for DeCruit (Theater Row), “A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM” at 92Y, and “MILKDREAMS” “WHAT COMES AFTER HAPPY” “PIECE” “EGG” “YOU ARE HERE” and other works for Alexandra Beller/Dances.
Her critically acclaimed international performance career includes 7 years with the Bill. T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and projects with Martha Clarke, John Turturro, and others. She created Alexandra Beller/Dances in 2001 and has created over 40 original Dance Theatre works, both for her own and other companies. Her choreography has been presented at US theatres and Korea, Hong Kong, Oslo, Cyprus, St. Petersburg, and Poland.
Alexandra holds a BFA in Dance, an MFA in Dance, and a CMA (Certified Movement Analyst) in Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals. She has been on the faculty of Princeton University (7 years), Montclair State University’s graduate program, and frequently adjunct teaches at Universities in NYC including Barnard College, Rutgers University, The New School, and Alvin Ailey Dance Center at Fordham University. She is on the faculty of the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies.
Scott, Timothy
Timothy Scott is a Brooklyn-based experimental theater artist. He has been the associate artistic director of The Million Underscores since its inception in 2013, and has been involved with ten original performances. Additionally he has been organizing the educational programs the company offers throughout each year.
Timothy trained extensively under the radical tutelage of Mary Overlie from 2009 until her death in 2021, learning how to teach her Six Viewpoints system with her, as well as performing in several improvised and choreographed productions under her direction.
Timothy had also performed with Richard Foreman, Kara Feeley and Travis Just of Object Collection, Ernesto Pujol, Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya of Leimay Ensemble among others.
Timothy was a Target Margin Lab artist in 2019, a LEIMAY fellow from 2015-2020 and participated in Mabou Mines RAP in 2016.
Stewart, Stew
Stew is a Tony Award and two-time Obie Award winning playwright/performer, a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and veteran of multiple dive-bar stages.
His credits include:
Book, Lyrics, Co-Composer: PASSING STRANGE (2008 Tony, 2007 Obie),FAMILY ALBUM (2014 Oregon Shakes), THE TOTAL BENT (Public Theater 2016), NOTES OF A NATIVE SONG (2015 Harlem Stage) WAGNER MAX WAGNER (2015 Kennedy Center) MAKING IT (Spring 2010 St. Anne’s Warehouse), BROOKLYN OMNIBUS (Fall 2010 Brooklyn Academy of Music)
Film: Spike Lee’s PASSING STRANGE. ROCK & ROLL: STEW AND THE
NEGRO PROBLEM.
Arts-Ed: Currently at Harvard University,
formerly, California Institute of the Arts, New School, Sarah
Lawrence, Stanford, UArts Philly.
Abbott, Christopher
Acclaimed stage and screen actor Christopher Abbott will next be seen starring opposite Margaret Qualley in Zachary Wigon’s independent feature SANCTUARY, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2022 and just sold to NEON, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ POOR THINGS alongside Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Jerrod Carmichael, Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef.
Recent credits include Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut for Annapurna ON THE COUNT OF THREE (premiered at Sundance in 2021), John Michael McDonagh’s THE FORGIVEN opposite Ralph Fiennes (premiered at Toronto in 2021), Mona Fastvold’s THE WORLD TO COME with Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby (premiered at Venice in 2020), Brandon Cronenberg’s thriller POSSESSOR opposite Andrea Riseborough (premiered at Sundance in 2020) and Lawrence Michael Levine’s meta-drama BLACK BEAR with Aubrey Plaza (premiered at Sundance in 2020).
In January 2020, Christopher was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the “Best Actor” category for his work in the lead role of Hulu’s limited series CATCH-22 directed by George Clooney.
Other film credits includes Damien Chazelle’s FIRST MAN, Nicolas Pesce’s PIERCING, Jamie Dagg’s SWEET VIRGINIA, Trey Shults’ IT COMES AT NIGHT, JC Chandor’s A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, Mona Fastvold’s THE SLEEPWALKER and Sean Durkin’s MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. In 2015, he was named by Variety as one of the “10 Actors to Watch” following his portrayal of the title role in Josh Mond’s award-winning film JAMES WHITE. His performance garnered Abbott “Best Actor” nominations from both the Independent Spirit and Gotham Awards.
On stage, Abbott made his Broadway debut in John Guare’s THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES. Other theatrical work includes THE ROSE TATTOO at The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Lucy Thurber’s WHERE WE’RE BORN at The Rattlestick Theatre, Annie Baker’s JOHN at The Signature Theatre and Sam Shepard’s FOOL FOR LOVE at The Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Christopher recently wrapped filming Sony/Marvel’s KRAVEN THE HUNTER for filmmaker J.C. Chandor. He is about to begin production on the independent feature SWIMMING HOME, based on Deborah Levy’s Man Booker Prize-nominated novel, alongside Mackenzie Davis and Ariane Labed.
Harnett, Daniel
Daniel Harnett made his Broadway debut singing and acting in I REMEMBER MAMA. He’s been writing songs since 1983 and has accumulated a catalogue of over a thousand. His work has been aired on WFMU 91.1 FM and has been featured in a handful of shorts and independent feature films (DOG RUN Dir: Ze’ev Gilad and most recently THE VANISHING POINT Dir: Sadie Rose Corrigan). Daniel has performed solo, as a trio and a quartet on bills with such artists as Jewel, Stereo Lab and Jeff Buckley. Daniel has also toured solo in 2003 across New Zealand; performed at numerous venues including Irving Plaza, Mercury Lounge, CBGB’s and Sine; toured the North East in 2014 with his most current band Crystal Robots; and was recently featured on the latest record by Mark Kozlek to be released end of 2022. He’s been commissioned to write music for the theater by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Patrick Shanley as part of Labyrinth Theater Company of which he is a member.